


Angel

by theRougeChevalier



Series: 25 days of Christmas [2]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Holidays, M/M, Mary is a badass, Pet Names, all the feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-07
Updated: 2015-12-07
Packaged: 2018-05-05 10:22:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5371775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theRougeChevalier/pseuds/theRougeChevalier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>2nd of my 25 days of Christmas short writing challenge! <br/>2. Angels</p>
<p>John has a new pet name for Sherlock and he's not particularly fond of it.  Can he convince John to stop using it or will he learn to like it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Angel

2\. Angel  
“I may be on the side of the angels, but don’t think for one moment that I am one of them”

Those words haunted Sherlock for years after he had first said them to Moriarty that faithful day on the rooftop of St. Barts. But they haunted him in a way he hadn’t expected.   
When he returned from the “dead”, John had been angry with him and he had held on to that anger for a while, eventually both of their feelings caught up to them and it was Mary who put them both out of their misery. She pointed out that she couldn’t very well marry John if he was still in love with Sherlock. She could see through both their anger and denial and told them what was what. She hadn’t seemed altogether too upset about it or at all angry with Sherlock, sad yes, but she realized that it was probably inevitable that even if Sherlock had not returned from the dead she would still have only been a replacement and she couldn’t live like that. She deserved better and they both agreed. 

Sherlock quite liked Mary, and after an appropriate amount of time they all began meeting up for coffee every other Sunday to chat like ‘old friends’. John often teased that Sherlock liked Mary more than him because she was more of an intellectual match for him. Sherlock had scoffed at such nonsense. No one was his intellectual equal. But Mary was doing well, she even had a new beau now and Sherlock had given his tentative blessing, even if the man seemed a dullard, but Sherlock thought that of most people. 

Now that him and John were officially a couple, as they were always meant to be, according to the opinions of some people, i.e. the entirety of the yard; John had taken to the tradition of pet names that Sherlock was led to believe was normal in most romantic relationships. However John’s pet name for Sherlock was, angel. Whenever he was cross or teasing, or if he wanted to get Sherlock’s attention he would call him angel. He had a very special way of saying it, softly in an almost whisper with the emphasis on the ‘an’. 

At first it irked Sherlock so badly that every time he would tell John off, and say he was no such thing and that he did not wish to be called it. Every time John called him ‘angel’ it reminded him of that day at St. Barts. 

After having been together for almost 9 months Sherlock finally confronted John about his use of the endearment. 

They had just finished a case, a 7, but they had both felt exhilarated after chasing criminals through the cold December streets of London. Now they were unwinding at 221B curled up together on the couch with a nice cup of tea and some mind numbing telly. 

“John why do you call me angel?” Sherlock asked out of the blue. 

John raised his eyebrows and snorted before leaning his head on Sherlock’s shoulder and giving a little smile, “Because you are one.” 

Sherlock snorted, “We both know I am not. Angels don’t take joy in creative crime.” 

John laughed, “And I’m pretty sure they don’t leave body parts in the tea kettle either.” 

John resettled himself and was quiet for a minute, then he began to speak staring down at the floor. “You once said you didn’t like that I called you that because it reminded you of that day…. Well that’s exactly why I use it.” 

Sherlock was confused, John finally looked up into his eyes and continued. “I don’t want you to forget what you did that day. Not because I want to punish you, because even though I still get angry about it, and it took me a long time to understand, I do. You sacrificed yourself, your pride, your career, your life to protect others without any hope of gratitude or redemption. That’s what angels do, and you became an angel long before you fell from the heavens because the day you walked into my life you saved mine. You’re my guardian angel Sherlock.” 

At this point John took Sherlock’s hand in his and laced their fingers together and squeezed the detective’s hand tightly, his eyes still boring into Sherlock’s, his face open and full of remembered pain and sorrow and Sherlock could do little more than remain in thrall to John’s words. 

“I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t met you and after I lost you I was sure I’d never be whole again. When you returned….I felt like I was seeing a ghost. A memory that could never be made real again, tainted by tragedy. But….then as we began to work cases again and I realized that that’s what you were, that you were not a shade, but resurrected to do good as you always have. You’ve always been my guardian angel Sherlock it just took me a long time to realize it. I call you that because I want you to know how much you mean to me, to London, to the world. Your ego is already enormous so god forbid I make it any bigger, but I want you to know that even when I’m cross with you or when the world calls you a freak that I still love you.” 

Sherlock was speechless, his mouth dry and his tongue felt as if it was too big for his mouth as he took in all John had said, the words imprinted into his mind palace immediately and he knew his psyche was right now laser engraving them into the solarium he had marked for all things John, but it was still hard, even for a genius like him to process the meaning and weight of all John had just shared with him. But what he did know was that despite his mind not being able to wrap itself around it, his heart understood and he let it guide his actions as he leaned down to kiss his blogger. 

*~*~*~*~

2 weeks later on Christmas morn, John presented Sherlock with a wrapped parcel. Sherlock stared at it suspiciously and could have deduced what was in the package, but knew that would defeat the purpose and upset John so instead he dutifully read the dangling Christmas tag. 

‘To our first Christmas together, and many more. Happy Christmas, my angel.’ 

Sherlock wasted no time in setting the package aside still wrapped and pulling John down atop him in the chair and kissing him silly. John grunted in surprise at first, but quickly recovered and gave as good as he got, clinging to the detective as they made out in the chair. When they needed to breathe John pulled back and laughed. “Well if that’s the reaction I get every time I call you ‘my angel from now on I’ll have to be careful about using it around the Yard.” 

Sherlock kissed him again and grinned mischievously, “You certainly will.” 

“Aren’t you going to open your present?” John asked. 

“It can wait. I’ve got the best present ever right here in this chair with me and I intend to take my time unwrapping it.” Sherlock’s eyes darkening and his voice taking on a deep register that caused John to shiver and dive back in for another passionate kiss. 

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night! ;)


End file.
